1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle roof rack and carrier for easy loading/unloading, and, more particularly, pertains to providing a device that includes a vehicle roof mount with carrier for supporting kayaks, canoes, windsurf boards, and roof boxes being transported on the roof of a vehicle, and, more particularly, provides the user with an easy way to load and unload the equipment from atop the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a vehicle roof rack and canoe/kayak carrier is known in the prior art. More specifically, vehicle roof racks and canoe/kayak carriers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of transporting sporting equipment on top of a vehicle and over ground from the vehicle to the point of use is known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,824 to Spring, Jr. disclosed an equipment transport rack for vehicles providing improved loading accessibility. The equipment transport rack of this invention performs equally well with various sports equipment payloads including: skis and ski equipment; fishing poles; snowboards; surfboards and windsurfing boards; canoes; rafts; kayaks; small boats including sailboats with detachable sails; bicycles; water skis; wake boards; knee boards; hockey sticks; luggage racks, luggage carriers, recreation boxes; and camping-related cargo such as tents and supplies. In addition, non-sports related or utility cargo, such as ladders, lumber, plumbers pipe or tube may be effectively transported. Further, Spring anticipates that, in addition to the known sports and non-sports related equipment, it is listed in the specification of the patent that there are equivalent, new sports and non-sports related equipment that will become known over time and will be advantageously carried by the equipment transport rack. The Spring patent has an equipment transport rack provided with two operational positions or modes: transport and loading. In the transport position or mode, the payload is carried above the roof height or about the roof surface within the boundaries of the roof edge, removably secured by a dedicated payload carrier, which has a structure specialized for holding single or multiple equipment types.
Furthermore, to facilitate loading or unloading of the equipment payload, the equipment transport rack of Spring includes a moveable section, or carriage assembly, which holds the equipment payload in the payload carrier. Also, the carriage assembly extends outwardly and pivots downwardly from the roof area to project the payload carrier beyond the boundary of the roof edge and at least partially below the height of the roof edge and roof surface.
Applicants' invention is intended to be much more simplistic than Spring. The roof rack has carrier rails coupled with a support foot means, which provides a fixed footing or mounting means for the rack onto the vehicle. Applicants' invention does not include the carriage assembly but includes the payload carrier and means for extending the rack outwardly, at least partially over the roof edge, and downwardly, at least partially below the height of the roof edge. Applicants' invention uses the carrier apparatus designed for use with Applicants' roof rack to move the equipment along the carrier rail of the rack.
Another example of a roof rack is U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,557 to Arvidsson which discloses an arrangement for carrying a craft on a vehicle roof. This patent is a continuation of an earlier Arvidsson U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,017 disclosing a similar arrangement. The Arvidsson '557 devise is an arrangement designed so to permit simple adaptation to a craft having different shapes, not only crafts of different widths, but also crafts having different arching or angles in the bottom of the hull. The Arvidsson '557 invention further has for its object to devise an arrangement that facilitates loading and unloading of the craft, which may readily and conveniently be mounted on conventional roof racks. Specifically, the '557 patent has an adjustable bracket arrangement that is attached to the carrier rails/carrier beams of the roof rack.
The invention that is taught by Applicants' invention does not include the bracket device of Arvidsson '557 or '017. Arvidsson's bracket device comprises two brackets that are displaceable along the load carrier beam and securable in optional positions along the load carrier beam. The brackets are provided with support members in the form of platform support portions on which the craft is intended to rest. Further, by moving the brackets towards or away from one another, the distance between the support portions may be varied within broad limits, whereby allowing the brackets to adapt to different craft widths.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,946 to Knudsen discloses a portage system for light watercraft that allows the craft to be transported by an individual. It is a more specific object to provide a portage system for light watercraft that enables a user to use both hands while the watercraft is supported above the user's head while limiting unintended contact between the craft and foreign objects. Knudsen's portage system supports a light watercraft. In a particular embodiment, the portage system includes a frame having opposed first and second upright arms, a plurality of cross-struts interconnecting the arms, a pair of shoulder straps secured to a cross strut, and a hip belt secured adjacent bottom ends of the upright members to removably secure the frame to a user; first and second thwart cradles adjustably secured to top ends of the first and second upright arms so that a center thwart of the watercraft may engage the first and second thwart cradles to support the watercraft at varying heights above the user; and a balance strap adjustably secured between a bottom end of an upright arm and a forward attachment point on the watercraft. The Applicants have a carrier that is easily removed from the roof rack and then transported about the wheel assembly from the vehicle to the debarking location. Applicants' invention is not intended for use in carrying equipment above the shoulders of the user.
With regard to carrier devices, U.S. Pat. No. design 386,145 to Staller discloses a kayak rack, and U.S. Pat. Design 380,708 to Witt discloses a canoe/kayak carrier. Staller discloses a simple triangular device. Witt shows a simple carrier that cannot be used in conjunction with a vehicle roof rack.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,959 to Lorensen et al., an article-carrying rack with lockable mount is disclosed. The article-carrying racks, more particularly, concern an article-carrying rack with a lockable mount that allows the rack and mount to be locked in place on a vehicle, whether articles are carried thereon or not.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,743 to Derecktor discloses a vehicle roof rack. This invention relates generally to roof racks, and more particularly to a roof rack that attaches to the roof of a vehicle having a rain gutter. Roof racks that are attached to gutters provided along opposite sides of a roof of a vehicle, such as an automobile or van, are well known in the art. Currently, Applicants' roof rack does not teach attaching to gutters, but it is an option that may be available for use with the Applicants' carrier.
Various types of utility vehicle racks are known for carrying various sporting and non-sporting equipment over the roof of a vehicle. Whether the vehicle is a car, cargo van, mini-van or sports utility vehicle. In most cases the roof rack consists of a member which extends transversally above the roof of the vehicle and which is detachably secured at its opposite ends to the body of the vehicle. A rack assembly typically can be adjusted in length completely at the discretion of the user in order to fit the rack to any desired vehicle.
Prior attachment devices for detachable mounting of racks on automobiles have been of four general types. In a first category, the pedestal or bracket by which the rack is positioned above the roof relies upon seated reference in a rain-gutter. A second rack category relies on support pads which sit on the roof, and rely on tie-down straps which hook over the edge of the roof. The third category is also characterized by reliance on support pads, but these pads are of an adjustable width so that the pad can be on or very near the edge of the roof where the roof can structurally support the load. A forth category is concerned with various methods for detachably assembling roof racks, such as luggage carrier racks, to the roof of a vehicle. Generally, such racks having spaced rails have end holes that align with round holes through the roof of the vehicle at predetermined locations. These holes allow the rack to be secured to the vehicle roof. Some such arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,162,755; 4,277,009; and 4,448,336.
Furthermore, various methods are used to carry equipment from the roof of a vehicle to the location of use. Most of the time the user, with assistance of another person, removes the kayak/canoe or other item and carries it from the vehicle to the point of use. There is no teaching for the solo system created by using the roof rack carrier combination of the Applicants.
In this respect, the vehicle roof rack and carrier for easy loading/unloading according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing, provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a device that includes a vehicle roof mount with carrier that will support kayaks, canoes, windsurf boards, and roof boxes transported on the roof of a vehicle, while at the same time, providing the user with an easy way to load and unload the equipment from atop the vehicle.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved vehicle roof rack and carrier for easy loading/unloading that can be used for providing a device for supporting kayaks, canoes and roof boxes being transported on the roof of a vehicle. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.